Two brothers have been charged over the shooting murder of Chicago police officer Ella French as the city's police clash with its mayor over the horrific killing.
Emonte Morgan, 21, is charged with first-degree murder of a peace officer, attempted first-degree murder of a peace officer, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.
His brother, Eric Morgan, 22, is charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, and obstruction of justice.
The charges were announced by the Chicago Police Department on Monday evening with the Morgans due in court for a bail hearing on Tuesday afternoon.
They were arrested over French's murder as it emerged police at the University of Chicago Medical Center where the dead cop's partner was being treated turned their backs on Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot after she paid a visit Saturday.
Lightfoot was also verbally attacked by the father of French's partner, who remains critically-ill in hospital. She is said to have been left 'shaken' by the incident, which came after Chicago cops accused her of failing 'to have their back', with Lightfoot calling for an $80 million cut to her city's police budget in October 2020.
Alderman Anthony Napolitano - himself a former cop - said that while he did not see Lightfoot as anti-police, she needed to shoulder blame for encouraging defund the police activists which he says left the city's cops badly demoralized.
Napolitano told the Chicago Sun Times: 'I never saw her as an anti-police advocate. But I will put this 550 percent on these socialists and these progressives in the City Council. This blood is on their hands, without a doubt.
'They’re the ones who created this whole anti-police movement that has made these brazen acts of violence against police officers [possible] — 39 this year alone. This is created by them. This whole defund and disrespect movement that they have started.
'These pieces of s**t are the ones that created this and talk anti-police. And they’re the ones begging for more police in their communities. They’re the biggest hypocrites. They disgust me.'
He spoke as it was also revealed that a woman who was in the car with the Morgan brothers has not been charged due to lack of evidence.
Federal prosecutors Monday charged an Indiana man with purchasing and then illegally supplying the semi-automatic handgun used in the shooting.
Officer French, 29, was killed during the shooting at a traffic stop on Saturday night. The Morgan brothers were said to have been driving with expired license plates, prompting police to pull them over.
Her death was the first fatal shooting of a Chicago officer in the line of duty since Lightfoot took office and the first female officer fatally shot on the job there in 33 years.
